Heritage Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
Siem Reap the cleanest city in Cambodia in 2015 has a few majestic temple complexes or wat in Khmer. I chose to visit the famous Wat Preah Prohm Rath.
Located along Pokambor Avenue of Siem Reap and within a few minutes' ride from the Central Market, Wat Preah Prohm Rath officially known as Wat Preah Promreath (meaning Preah Promreath Pagoda) on the gate is a huge temple complex that comprises of several buildings including the ordination Hall known as Preah Vihear, a monastery known as Preah Prohm Rath Monastery, decorated towers and a few replicas of famous Khmer men and legends. The temple gate itself that has three-level Bayon-style King Jayavarman II-like faces on top was unveiled in 1371 AD.
Throughout the grounds of Wat Preah Prohm Rath are balustrades with depictions of Naga and Garuda at the ends that represent peace.
Located on the right of a smaller Buddhist prayer hall is Preah Prohm Rath Monastery, the oldest monastery of Siem Reap with a history of more than 500 years. Founded in the reign of King Ang Chan (1516-1566 AD), it was dedicated to Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy and to the spirits of the couple Ta Pum and Yeay Rath who owned the land on which Wat Preah Prohm Rath was constructed to propagate Buddha's teaching and provide lodging for monks who came to Siem Reap without any lodging.
The sacred residence of Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy, that is Preah Prohm Rath Monastery, was itself constructed between the late fifteenth century and early sixteenth century AD in honour of the revered monk Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy (1358-1456 AD) who was believed to bestow peace on Angkor (ninth to fifteenth century AD) when the kingdom was not in peace with Champa. King Ang Chan always came to the monastery to seek for thanksgiving and peace.
Preah Prohm Rath Monastery was initially known as Ta Pum Yeay Rath Monastery. In the 1940s, it was renamed Preah Prohm Rath Monastery by a former abbot of the monastery.
Three replicas diagonally in front of the monastery and the reclining Buddha sculpture in the ordinate Hall somewhat continued the stories of Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy and King Ang Chan.
The boat replica showing the monk Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy where I was standing in front is said to duplicate the boat that he always travelled to a village later known as Longvek, the ancient capital of Cambodia located halfway between Phnom Penh and the southern end of Tonle Sap lake, to ask for freshly cooked rice to be scooped into his pot.
One day, legend has it that a few sharks attacked the boat. However there is no shark in the Tonle Sap lake south of Siem Reap and since the largest freshwater fish of Tonle Sap lake, the Mekong giant catfish, has no teeth and is a herbivore. The Tonle Sap lake beasts that attacked the boat are actually the Siamese crocodiles that caused the boat to break into two pieces.
Instead of sinking into the lake, one piece of the boat floated to Wat Boribo in Kampong Chhnang Province's Boribo district where the Buddhists there built a standing statue of Buddha. The other piece that water could not flow into it brought Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy safely at great speed to the land of Ta Pum and Yeay Rath where Siem Reap's religious development began here.
To remember this event for posterity, King Ang Chan ordered Siem Reap's Buddhists to build the reclining Buddha statue made of the wooden piece of the boat that has been kept in Preah Vihear the building where the ordination Hall is situated.
The second replica on the left of the boat replica depicts Ney Khan, the enemy of King Ang Chan and the Khmer people. On the corpse sculpture are the vultures that violently fed on the corpse, his tongue sticking out from his mouth, his eyes opening wide and his face in gory condition. It has a political connotation here. The armies of Ney Khan and King Ang Chan fought with one another in the sixteenth century AD for power after the Angkor Empire was almost destroyed. Ang Chan's army won and established the capital of Longvek and his palace around the village that Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy visited in Kampong Chhnang Province. The corpse sculpture stands for Ney Khan's defeat and burial.
How the reclining Buddha and the corpse sculpture came to be somehow inspired the meaning of Siem Reap, which means "Siam Defeated" in Khmer.
Further to the left of the corpse replica are the replica of a king with an arrow riding on a white horse-carriage and soldier sculptures. The king refers to King Ang Chan who defeated Ney Khan.
Preah Vihear was constructed in 1945 the year when Wat Preah Prohm Rath was officially named. It is flanked by two cannons of French origin which are said to have belonged to Khmer warlord, anti-Communist Indochinese guerilla leader, and right-wing Cambodian nationalist and general named Dap Chhoun (1912-1959 AD).
While the reclining Buddha was installed in a huge immersion pool-like pit of the ordination Hall and was subsiding deeper and deeper because the ground had grown thicker, there is the imposing, yet despondent looking Buddha sitting on the lotus base in front. It was built during the Bayon period (twelfth century BC) with sandstone from an area now part of the Angkor Archaeological Park. This section of the Preah Vihear is known as Uposatha.
Surrounding the ordination Hall and the monastery is an artwork galley depicting various Khmer royal legends, ancient life in Angkor and life of the Buddha in the Khmer language. There is no written English translation. It will facilitate tourists' understanding and appreciation of the Khmer cultures if the monastery, local religious volunteers and Tourism Cambodia could invest in the appropriate translation resource.
A corner shows sculptures of Cambodia's fauna.
The Haw Par Villa-like temple complex is always seeking donations from well-wishers so that it can further expand its premises. It takes about one hour thirty minutes to explore the entire grounds of Wat Preah Prohm Rath in details.
If one does not have the time to enter Angkor Wat, Cambodia's national symbol, located near Siem Reap, do make an effort to visit Wat Preah Prohm Rath, the oldest temple complex of Siem Reap city proper and Siem Reap's symbol and be fascinated with the panorama of Cambodia heritage.
Admission to Wat Preah Prohm Rath is free.
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
Siem Reap the cleanest city in Cambodia in 2015 has a few majestic temple complexes or wat in Khmer. I chose to visit the famous Wat Preah Prohm Rath.
Located along Pokambor Avenue of Siem Reap and within a few minutes' ride from the Central Market, Wat Preah Prohm Rath officially known as Wat Preah Promreath (meaning Preah Promreath Pagoda) on the gate is a huge temple complex that comprises of several buildings including the ordination Hall known as Preah Vihear, a monastery known as Preah Prohm Rath Monastery, decorated towers and a few replicas of famous Khmer men and legends. The temple gate itself that has three-level Bayon-style King Jayavarman II-like faces on top was unveiled in 1371 AD.
Throughout the grounds of Wat Preah Prohm Rath are balustrades with depictions of Naga and Garuda at the ends that represent peace.
Located on the right of a smaller Buddhist prayer hall is Preah Prohm Rath Monastery, the oldest monastery of Siem Reap with a history of more than 500 years. Founded in the reign of King Ang Chan (1516-1566 AD), it was dedicated to Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy and to the spirits of the couple Ta Pum and Yeay Rath who owned the land on which Wat Preah Prohm Rath was constructed to propagate Buddha's teaching and provide lodging for monks who came to Siem Reap without any lodging.
The sacred residence of Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy, that is Preah Prohm Rath Monastery, was itself constructed between the late fifteenth century and early sixteenth century AD in honour of the revered monk Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy (1358-1456 AD) who was believed to bestow peace on Angkor (ninth to fifteenth century AD) when the kingdom was not in peace with Champa. King Ang Chan always came to the monastery to seek for thanksgiving and peace.
Preah Prohm Rath Monastery was initially known as Ta Pum Yeay Rath Monastery. In the 1940s, it was renamed Preah Prohm Rath Monastery by a former abbot of the monastery.
Three replicas diagonally in front of the monastery and the reclining Buddha sculpture in the ordinate Hall somewhat continued the stories of Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy and King Ang Chan.
The boat replica showing the monk Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy where I was standing in front is said to duplicate the boat that he always travelled to a village later known as Longvek, the ancient capital of Cambodia located halfway between Phnom Penh and the southern end of Tonle Sap lake, to ask for freshly cooked rice to be scooped into his pot.
One day, legend has it that a few sharks attacked the boat. However there is no shark in the Tonle Sap lake south of Siem Reap and since the largest freshwater fish of Tonle Sap lake, the Mekong giant catfish, has no teeth and is a herbivore. The Tonle Sap lake beasts that attacked the boat are actually the Siamese crocodiles that caused the boat to break into two pieces.
Instead of sinking into the lake, one piece of the boat floated to Wat Boribo in Kampong Chhnang Province's Boribo district where the Buddhists there built a standing statue of Buddha. The other piece that water could not flow into it brought Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy safely at great speed to the land of Ta Pum and Yeay Rath where Siem Reap's religious development began here.
To remember this event for posterity, King Ang Chan ordered Siem Reap's Buddhists to build the reclining Buddha statue made of the wooden piece of the boat that has been kept in Preah Vihear the building where the ordination Hall is situated.
The second replica on the left of the boat replica depicts Ney Khan, the enemy of King Ang Chan and the Khmer people. On the corpse sculpture are the vultures that violently fed on the corpse, his tongue sticking out from his mouth, his eyes opening wide and his face in gory condition. It has a political connotation here. The armies of Ney Khan and King Ang Chan fought with one another in the sixteenth century AD for power after the Angkor Empire was almost destroyed. Ang Chan's army won and established the capital of Longvek and his palace around the village that Preah Ang Chang-han Hoy visited in Kampong Chhnang Province. The corpse sculpture stands for Ney Khan's defeat and burial.
How the reclining Buddha and the corpse sculpture came to be somehow inspired the meaning of Siem Reap, which means "Siam Defeated" in Khmer.
Further to the left of the corpse replica are the replica of a king with an arrow riding on a white horse-carriage and soldier sculptures. The king refers to King Ang Chan who defeated Ney Khan.
Preah Vihear was constructed in 1945 the year when Wat Preah Prohm Rath was officially named. It is flanked by two cannons of French origin which are said to have belonged to Khmer warlord, anti-Communist Indochinese guerilla leader, and right-wing Cambodian nationalist and general named Dap Chhoun (1912-1959 AD).
While the reclining Buddha was installed in a huge immersion pool-like pit of the ordination Hall and was subsiding deeper and deeper because the ground had grown thicker, there is the imposing, yet despondent looking Buddha sitting on the lotus base in front. It was built during the Bayon period (twelfth century BC) with sandstone from an area now part of the Angkor Archaeological Park. This section of the Preah Vihear is known as Uposatha.
Surrounding the ordination Hall and the monastery is an artwork galley depicting various Khmer royal legends, ancient life in Angkor and life of the Buddha in the Khmer language. There is no written English translation. It will facilitate tourists' understanding and appreciation of the Khmer cultures if the monastery, local religious volunteers and Tourism Cambodia could invest in the appropriate translation resource.
A corner shows sculptures of Cambodia's fauna.
The Haw Par Villa-like temple complex is always seeking donations from well-wishers so that it can further expand its premises. It takes about one hour thirty minutes to explore the entire grounds of Wat Preah Prohm Rath in details.
If one does not have the time to enter Angkor Wat, Cambodia's national symbol, located near Siem Reap, do make an effort to visit Wat Preah Prohm Rath, the oldest temple complex of Siem Reap city proper and Siem Reap's symbol and be fascinated with the panorama of Cambodia heritage.
Admission to Wat Preah Prohm Rath is free.
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